EVOLUTION DR WHO – THE MISSING ADVENTURES Also available: GOTH OPERA by Paul Cornell EVOLUTION John Peel First published in Great Britain in 1994 by Doctor Who Books an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd 332 Ladbroke Grove London W10 5AH Copyright © John Peel 1994 The right of John Peel to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 ‘Doctor Who’ series copyright © British Broadcasting Corporation 1994 ISBN 426 20422 Cover illustration by Alister Pearson Typeset by Galleon Typesetting, Ipswich Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berks This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwide, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser Did you notice the misspelled word? Scanned by The Camel Contents Childhood’s End Predators 18 Interlude 28 Bodies 31 Wild Hunt 39 Hounded 48 Swimming with the Sharks 58 Interlude 64 Grave Events 67 Explanations and Mutations 75 Interlude 81 Survival of the Fittest 84 Coda 94 Semi-Historical Notes 97 Author’s Note 98 This is for everyone who has helped make VISIONS the best conventions: Organizers: Bob McLaughlin, Dennis Light and especially Debi Smolinske – not forgetting Jeff and Dana (cousin Dashiell says Woof!) Staff members: Lisa Albergo, Dee Dee Aquino, Tasha Avon, Jeanna Bloom, Patti Duke, George Fergus, Louis Galvez III, Mom Geiger, John Golkosky, Jennifer Adams Kelley, Sandy Kinnard, Nancy Kolar, John Lavalie, Anne Macko, Kate Raymond, Cherry Steffey, Ruth Ann Stern, Dave Thomas and Charlie Thomson Attendees: Emma Abraham, Jean Airey, Paul Scott Aldred, Lee Bahan, Tom Beck, Jane Dietz, Chrissy Carr and Martin Hunger, Lee Darrow, Jan Fennick, Jenn Fletcher, Alex Franges, David Gee, Bob and Lorie Kessler (thanks for the photos!) and Bekki Wolf (and for the tie!), Bill Massey, Jr, Kelly McDonough, Grace Meisel and Scott Tefoe, Dan and Katherynn Murphy, Bea Owens, Kevin Parker, Howard and Carol ‘Mac’ Rubin, Dean Shewring and Teri White As well as all of the wonderful guests You all deserve a book dedication of your own, but that would take forever! Thanks, everyone: every year so far has been terrific – and I’m certain that the best is yet to be – Childhood’s End H e had been human once He had to remember that But it was so hard When the blood-lust came over him, he could almost taste the kill in his fangs, feel the small bodies crunching, become intoxicated by the fresh blood that would dribble down his throat He tried to fight it again, as he tried to fight it each and every time And, as always, he failed Night had fallen, burying the humans who lived here in their small houses, huddled together for companionship and warmth He had no one There was nobody to keep him company, no companion to offer him warmth His only warmth came from the thrill of the hunt, his only companionship from the prey he ran down and then devoured He was alone, unique, the sole member of his kind But he had been human once Long, long ago He could barely remember those days In his new state, time had little meaning His mind wasn’t working as it had once Days and weeks blurred together The only times were night or day, feast or famine By day he hid, knowing that if anyone saw him, he’d be killed Nights he hunted If it was a good night, he ate: crunching the fresh bones, draining the delectable marrow, chewing on the tough sinews If it was a poor night, he fasted, waiting for the following day, his belly growling and complaining That always made the blood-lust worse Rabbits were good prey, but they were fast He had to be faster to catch them But with rabbits one bite from his massive jaws was more than sufficient to kill Foxes were good too, with their rich, predatory taste and hunter’s blood Foxes he admired They were almost as good at killing as he was But he could kill them, and they avoided him The small ponies were a feast, but much harder to take down They were wiry and tough, fighting with their hoofs and teeth, kicking and snorting And he couldn’t kill them with a single bite, as he did with the rabbits and foxes For the ponies, he’d developed a trick of biting their throats and then hanging on until they died choking in their own blood or until one of his paws could break their necks If he took a pony, then he could drag it to his lair and eat for a week without having to venture out to hunt and to risk being seen Not many people came out onto the moors, and virtually no one was foolish enough to try the trip at night But humans were tricky, and they were curious, and they were lethal There was no animal that could hurt him out here Even the ponies could only bruise him through his thick fur Humans could more, with their guns He’d been shot at once, and in the stormy weather he could still feel the ache from the shot They wouldn’t ever get another chance to shoot him The clouds covered the crescent moon, and he was satisfied Sniffing the air cautiously, he could tell that there were no humans around They were not smart enough to be able to hide from his heightened senses He could detect the faint trail of rabbits, and the merest hint of a fox The main scent this night was badger Badgers had claws, and they fought hard and long But his fur warded off their worst slashes, and they were good eating He could almost taste the hot, delicious blood in his mouth, and the blood-lust came down over his senses like a curtain at the end of a play He had been human once But now he was only a killer beast Howling his happiness, his anger, his hunger, his hatred for what he had become, he sprang out onto Dartmoor With long, loping strides, he began to cover the distance to his prey Tonight would be a good night Tonight, he would feast Tonight, something would die Ben Tolliver loved the sea as he had never loved any human being He’d been married twice and fathered eight children, but he loved none of them as much as he adored his silvery mistress He’d loved these waters as long as he could remember He’d been born beside them, and he knew he’d die beside them – or in them, as his father and grandfather had done, and as his brother and two sons had done The sea was a fickle mistress, Tolliver knew She could be sweet and serene, romantic and flirtatious She could coyly beckon you down to her cold embraces, then turn violent and murderous in an instant She was his only mistress, but he wasn’t foolish enough to ever think of trusting her capricious moods He was content simply to be with her, sharing the same night breezes that stirred the dark surface of the waters He felt an empathy with the sea When she was calm, he felt rested When the waters raged, he felt helpless and imprisoned He’d spent more than sixty years here, either floating in his small boat in these waters, or else in his small cabin where he could look down on the sea It had been a rough life, and a poor one – no question at all about that No Tolliver had ever grown wealthy from the sea But he was content Even with the loss of both wives and his sons, he wouldn’t have wanted anything to have been different Then he chuckled to himself Well, maybe that saucy lass at the Dog and Pony Now, if she’d agreed to some of those romps he’d often suggested But aside from that, he was content It had been a hard life, true, but a fair one He’d been able to live as he’d wished And here he was as always, floating gently on the sea in his old boat It was a lot like him: grizzled, getting no younger, and maybe a slight achy in places, but overall a good, stout craft that had many a year left to it And, like him, his boat was built for the sea and would be at home nowhere else Tolliver sighed and straightened up from his nets He’d checked them thoroughly, as he always did One small tear in the mesh could ruin a nights fishing He’d seen plenty of foolish fisherfolk lose their entire catch like that, but it had never happened to him Nor would it The day he lost a single fish was the day he’d retire from the sea; the day he’d lie down and die The sea was his mistress, and he knew that if he treated her right, showed her the proper respect and care, why then she’d be flattered and give generously other bounty He heaved the net into place, ready to cast it over the side and into the dark, nocturnal waters Then he paused, astounded There’d been talk in the taverns recently from some of the younger men about mermaids and fairy fires under the sea, but he’d always dismissed it as the foolishness of poor men in their cups He’d believed it was the beer talking, not the youngsters Why, he’d fished these waters sixty years and never seen any sights such as they had claimed Until tonight The moon had hidden itself behind the clouds, and the silvery reflections on the waves were gone But the sea wasn’t dark and impenetrable as it should have been Far below the surface, Tolliver could see light The fairy fires, then, were real! With the surface breaking and shivering as the waves lapped past his small craft, it was impossible to make out much Just that there were lights down there, lots of them Small, pinprick lights shivering and shaking with the movement of the waters, but real Moving to the bows, Tolliver discovered that he had a better view of them As he stared downwards, a pattern started to become clear It was as if the fires were on the spokes of some immense wheel, maybe two hundred feet across The pattern was quite regular, the lights all lined up, neat as you please The centre of the wheel lay about a quarter of a mile to starboard of him As he watched, utterly wrapped up in this beautiful mystery, Tolliver realized that the wheel analogy was very appropriate The lights were moving, turning about their hub, just like some immense wheel in motion The procession of light was slow and ponderous, but it was nevertheless quite real Tolliver was captivated He’d loved the sea in all her strange and often terrifying moods for six decades, but he had never been a witness to a sight like this Just like a woman to keep all her best secrets hidden till it was too late for you to take advantage of them! Tolliver couldn’t tear his eyes from the sight What could be causing this? He had no idea He’d heard enough foolish talk in his years as a fisherman to know plenty of legends of Davy Jones and his ilk He knew for a fact, though, that such talk was utter nonsense There was plenty of life in the sea, but it was all victim to line or net or harpoon None of it was intelligent, none capable of building the sight he was seeing now But neither could man In this year of grace eighteen hundred and eighty there were many marvels about that Tolliver had never dreamed of seeing in his simple life, but there wasn’t a man alive who could have built this wheel of light he was watching That engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel – now there had been a genius! Building ships the like of which this world had never seen before Many folks had laughed at him, but Brunel had been proven right time after time A man with vision, Brunel had been But even he could never have dreamed of constructing anything like this Besides, he’d been dead for twenty years now, and there wasn’t a man alive that could hold a match to his candle Then what was he seeing? What could be the explanation for this strange wheel of lights, turning with grim relentlessness off his starboard bow? Tolliver had heard from some of his colleagues about fish that had their own light, a bit like those fireflies whose bums burned bright on nights they were looking for love So Tolliver could believe those stories Still, even granted that there were fish whose backsides were filled with fire, he couldn’t imagine anything that would induce them to line themselves up as if they were ready for a dance and then slowly turn around a common centre It went against everything Tolliver knew So, then, what – A shape flickered past barely under the surface of the water, blocking the lights for a second, and it was then gone It must have been a fish What else could it have been? It couldn’t have been what he had thought It couldn’t have been – It rippled past the boat again, and Tolliver shivered in shock Cartwheels of fire were bad enough Maybe he was going senile Or maybe his old mistress was having fun with him He had seen a human face, and then the flicker of a fish’s tail A mermaid? Tolliver wished he could laugh at this stupidity Mermaids were seen more often in the bottom of a jar of ale than in the bottom of the sea But he hadn’t been drinking this night And he had seen something that looked like a woman’s face A bit of a body, and then there had been the fish’s tail, grey and smooth Not at all like the legends suggested No green scales or over-ripe breasts Just a face, slim form and tail He had to have imagined that! There were no such things as merfolk who farmed the pastures of the sea They were just legend and tall tales On the other hand, if there were some kind of folk who were – God alone knew how! – able to live under the sea, then perhaps they had made that monster wheel below him It went against his experiences and all he knew about the world But it did make a sort of off-kilter sense of its own Tolliver leaned over to get a better look Maybe that whatever-it-was would pass this way again and he’d get a better look at it on its next pass Maybe – In a sudden explosion of spume and cold water, something shot up from the sea Tolliver reeled back, horrified and screaming, but he was not fast enough to escape this thing In the last half-second of his life Tolliver made out sleek skin, the thrashing tail that had propelled this creature out of the black waters, and the huge mouth filled with pointed teeth And then the thing bit his face entirely off Sir Edward Fulbright knew precisely what he liked and didn’t like He liked, for example, Fulbright Hall, the ancestral home Portions of it dated back to the fifteenth century, when it had been founded by William Fulbright, but the majority of it had been either constructed or restored by his grandfather, Augustus Fulbright, in 1842 There was absolutely no question that the Hall was not merely an elegant and spacious domicile, but also the most architecturally interesting home within the boundaries of Devon He liked even more the Great Hall This spacious room had been constructed by old William for those grand medieval feasts, with a huge stone fireplace in the centre of one wall, the family crest carved in the stones above the immense mantel In the old days whole hogs had been roasted within that fireplace; nowadays, of course, the cooking was all accomplished in the Hall’s capacious kitchens A huge, cheery fire blazed instead in the grate The wall opposite the fireplace had been one of Grandfather Augustus’s main achievements The old, small windows of the house had been removed and large glass doors – in the French style, but still very attractive – had replaced them This allowed easier access to the large grounds of the Hall, and gave a superb view across the moors in all seasons There was, at the far end of the Great Hall, a minstrels’ gallery that had been carefully rebuilt, and for this occasion held the small orchestra that had been engaged for these festivities He liked parties, and this was one of the best he’d ever hosted His wife had outdone herself this time, and everyone who was anyone in the region – and quite a few from London – was here Still, it wasn’t every day that one’s only daughter announced her engagement Fulbright watched her whirling one of those new-fashioned dances – he never could recall their silly names – with affection He liked Alice a great deal She was a dutiful and beautiful girl of nineteen, who brought him much pleasure And he liked her fiancé, young Lieutenant Roger Bridewell He was a handsome figure of a man, with the prospect of a fine military career He was smart, well bred and quick to understand and follow orders He was just the kind of son that Fulbright had always wished for One day, of course, he would inherit Fulbright Hall Pity that the family name would be gone, but at least Fulbright could rest easy that the Hall would be retained by good blood Bridewell’s father had served in the Crimea with Fulbright and had died bravely at Sebastopol, having never seen his new-born son Fulbright had always felt as if Bridewell’s son were a member of the family, and he was most gratified that he was finally to become precisely that What he didn’t like was that friend of Bridewell’s His eyes scanned the room and the many guests dancing, drinking or chattering Eventually he saw the man again, and he frowned The disturbing young man was engaged in conversation with Sir Alexander Cromwell, the local Justice of the Peace What the deuce was he up to now? Fulbright had known this Colonel Edmund Ross for barely a week, but he knew that the man had a quiet intensity and some hidden purpose for being here If he hadn’t been Bridewell’s guest, Fulbright would have asked the man to leave There were a number of small matters that disturbed him about Ross Individually they were almost insignificant, but together they painted a very puzzling portrait of the young man For example, he wasn’t even thirty yet but had managed to acquire the rank of colonel He was terribly vague about the regiment he actually served in, and had in the course of conver sations admitted to serving in three different places at the same time! Fulbright would have assumed that the man was a simple blackguard and confidence man, but Bridewell had, rather unusually, gotten rather prickly when Fulbright had raised the possibility ‘Sir,’ Bridewell had replied stiffly, ‘Colonel Ross has impeccable credentials and is in a position of utmost trust I would appreciate it if you would not attempt to besmirch his reputation.’ Fulbright had agreed, but his suspicions still lingered And, just before the commencement of this ball, his butler had mentioned a fresh problem which was still troubling Fulbright As he watched Ross, he saw Sir Alexander laugh at some witticism and move off Seizing the opportunity, Fulbright crossed the crowded room to his most troublesome guest ‘Sir Edward,’ Ross said, bowing slightly ‘Allow me to congratulate you on a most entertaining evening.’ ‘I’m sorry?’ ‘Ah, this whole scheme,’ the Doctor said, gesturing about ‘Hiding in slimy little tunnels, killing poor innocent fishermen, snatching bodies, breeding dogs that Crufts wouldn’t even think of giving a blue ribbon to That sort of thing.’ Breckinridge nodded ‘You’re wondering what the point of all this activity is, I take it?’ ‘Exactly!’ The Doctor beamed ‘How succinct So tell me: what’s the point of all this activity?’ ‘Progress, Doctor, progress!’ Breckinridge smiled happily, and waved his hands around ‘This is the wave of the future, Doctor.’ ‘Really?’ asked Ross, mildly amused ‘Humanity is going to start living in leaky subterranean tunnels? Doesn’t sound like much of a future to me.’ Breckinridge glared at him ‘Mock me if you choose,’ he said coldly, ‘but remember who holds the power here.’ He turned to the Doctor ‘Really, how could you ally yourself with such a crass individual?’ The Doctor shrugged ‘Necessity makes for strange bedfellows,’ he suggested ‘Now, what was that you said about progress?’ Breckinridge nodded ‘Come with me, Doctor, and I will show you more wonders than any man has ever imagined.’ He glared at Raintree ‘Watch them all If any of them makes a false move, shoot him Otherwise, don’t harm them until I’m finished.’ With a charming smile, he said, ‘Gentlemen, if you’d care to follow me?’ ‘I think I speak for us all,’ the Doctor murmured, ‘when I say that we’re a captive audience Lead on, Macduff.’ Holding the scalpel in front of him, Ross moved slowly across the laboratory towards Sarah ‘I promise you,’ he said, ‘this will be as swift and painless as I can manage I have no desire to hurt you.’ ‘Well, I’ve plenty of desire to hurt you,’ snapped Sarah Her pain and fear had built within her to almost fever pitch, but she wasn’t about to let him get away with his insane plans She gripped the pipe over her head with her hands, and waited for him to move closer As he stepped within four feet of her, she exploded into action She whipped up her right foot with as much force as she could muster Her toe slammed into his wrist with bone-shat tering impact The scalpel flew from his nerveless fingers, clattering to the ground in the distance Ross screamed and used his good hand to grip his smashed right wrist Suspending herself from her hands, Sarah whipped up her legs, hooking her right foot behind his neck and pulling him toward her Then she slammed down her left foot on his back She felt the heel of her shoe crunch down hard on his ribs, and heard the distinct sound of a bone breaking Ross screamed wordlessly as he fell to the cold floor Panting, Sarah twisted about to try and use her feet on him again But though Ross was wounded and in pain, he wasn’t stupid enough to stay still Crab-like, he scuttled out of her reach, then tried to straighten up He winced, and his skin turned a sickly shade of white as he succeeded in regaining his feet ‘My hand!’ he screamed ‘You’ve broken my hand!’ Sarah glared at him through her fringe ‘What a wimp,’ she mocked him ‘You don’t care how much pain and misery you’ve inflicted on others, you? But break one little bone in your hand and you start blubbering like a baby.’ ‘You’ll pay for that,’ he hissed, glaring in anger and agony at her He was still nursing his broken wrist, and was slightly hunched over as a result of the blow from her heel ‘Oh, you’ll pay for that.’ ‘It’ll be worth it,’ she told him She wanted him mad enough to attack her again Despite appearances, she was actually at an advantage here Ross had been expecting some meek Victorian maid who’d faint at the thought of what he’d to her He probably still didn’t realize how much she was capable of – but he’d find out if he gave her half a chance ‘Come on,’ she encouraged him ‘I’m not going anywhere, am I? Almost as easy as kidnapping helpless children, isn’t it?’ He cast his eyes around the laboratory, clutching his hand ‘I’ve got to get this seen to,’ he muttered, refusing to be baited ‘Stick it in your healing jelly,’ she suggested ‘That should the trick.’ She grinned ‘As long as there’s nothing else in there, of course You didn’t swat a fly, did you? Maybe you’ll grow compound eyes if there’s a fly in your ointment.’ That taunt hit home Ross stared uncertainly at the container of the salve He was obviously a basically weak and insecure man, prey to nightmares and massive feelings of inferiority Sarah was certain that she could get him worked up enough to become reckless, if she had the time alone with him She didn’t The door to the laboratory opened and the Doctor walked in ‘Doctor!’ she exclaimed happily ‘Am I glad to see you! It’s a bit tiring, all this hanging around.’ The Doctor shook his head and pointed to Breckinridge, who had followed him in One by one, Doyle, Colonel Ross, Abercrombie, Brogan and Raintree filed into the room ‘This isn’t a rescue, I’m afraid, Miss Smith,’ Breckinridge said pleasantly ‘It’s not even a party,’ agreed the Doctor ‘I forgot to bring the cake.’ He peered at Ross ‘Ah, you must be the mad scientist, I assume.’ He held out a hand Ross whimpered ‘Sorry,’ Sarah apologized ‘He’s not going to be shaking hands for a while I’m afraid I broke it Careless of me, I know.’ ‘Very,’ agreed the Doctor Colonel Ross stepped forward and glared at his younger brother in disgust ‘Percival,’ he growled, ‘you’ve certainly disgraced the family name.’ ‘Percival?’ echoed the Doctor in mock horror ‘This whole insane scheme was dreamed up by a man named Percival? Oh, that’s too dreadful for words.’ His eyes darted about the laboratory, intrigued, and came to rest on the vat of gelatin ‘Ah! So that is what is behind all this.’ He wandered across to it Brogan raised his revolver, lining up on the Doctors back, but Breckinridge shook his head ‘There’s no need for that – yet,’ he said ‘So, Doctor, what you think that is?’ His face almost in the goo, the Doctor replied, ‘It’s obvious: Rutan healing salve The store brand, too, by the stench of it.’ He dipped his finger in and examined the glob Then he sucked it off his finger ‘Cherry – my favourite flavour.’ Breckinridge stared at him in shock ‘Don’t you know what that can to you?’ he gasped, appalled at what he’d just witnessed ‘I know what it can to you,’ the Doctor countered ‘It won’t affect me.’ ‘It affects any human being,’ croaked Ross, ashen at the thought of what the Doctor had done ‘Precisely,’ agreed the Doctor He wandered over to the closest aquarium tank and stared down at the baby seal inside ‘Hello, little fellow Lost your mummy?’ ‘Doctor,’ Doyle asked, ‘what the blazes is going on here? Do you really know what that stuff is?’ ‘Yes,’ the Doctor replied, spinning about on the balls of his feet ‘It’s Rutan healing salve The Rutans are a species of amorphous nature that live –’ he gestured vaguely in the air ‘– in a galaxy far, far away They have the ability to alter their appearance because their cellular structure is unstable As a result, when one of them is injured, they need a medication that’s pretty unstable too Like this goo The problem is that the salve works on the basis of reforming the amorphous cells When it comes in contact with some non-Rutan tissue, it causes genetic fusion.’ ‘Which we witnessed in the hound-boy and the mermaids,’ finished Sarah ‘Precisely.’ Colonel Ross raised an eyebrow ‘And these “Rutans” of which you speak; they are of other-worldly origin?’ ‘Very.’ The Doctor grinned at the agent ‘Do you find that rather incredible?’ ‘No,’ Ross replied ‘I’ve seen too many strange things during the course of my life to balk at the thought of a nonEarthly lifeform.’ A thought seemed to dawn on him ‘Ah! Doctor, am I to take it that you are another?’ The Doctors smile grew even wider ‘I knew it would dawn on someone sooner or later.’ Doyle shook his head ‘This is all getting far too preposterous for me,’ he opined ‘Me too,’ agreed Abercrombie ‘Non-humans I hate non-humans I’ve had enough bleeding non-humans to last me several lifetimes.’ Sarah realized that the Doctor had obviously learned something about Colonel Ross’s past that was still hidden from her, but it was obvious that Ross was on their side – at least for now Which definitely made matters interesting Counting Ross’s brother, there were four of the villains here; not counting her, since she was manacled and hardly free to move, there were four on the other side Even forces, if Brogan and Raintree had not been armed She decided that the best thing she could was to keep attention focused on her and trust the Doctor to improvise something as usual ‘Junior Ross here,’ she said, nodding at the scientist, ‘mentioned finding the stuff on a flying saucer that had crashed in Limehouse.’ ‘Part of their almost eternal war with the Sontarans, Sarah,’ the Doctor answered ‘They’ve been fighting in this sector for a while The Rutan must have been a casualty and come down in flames.’ He glared at the tub ‘Which is where that stuff belongs.’ ‘No, Doctor,’ Breckinridge broke in ‘That stuff belongs with me Ross and I have a great deal more use for it yet.’ ‘I don’t get it,’ Sarah said, puzzled ‘I can see what Frankenstein-hopeful here gets out of all this He’s just wild about breeding his own lifeforms, like the poor kid in the bottle over there But what’s in it for you? Just the pleasure of hurting little kids, robbing graves and killing people?’ Breckinridge was stung by this ‘Miss Smith!’ he protested ‘You me a grave injustice I am not some mindlessly sadistic monster Surely that is obvious?’ ‘What is obvious,’ Colonel Ross said coldly, ‘is that you are a depraved human being who has no thought for the consequences of his actions.’ Oh, well done! thought Sarah Ross’s accusation had really wounded Breckinridge’s pride The factory owner went almost purple with rage, and then managed to gather his wits together ‘Very well,’ he said, frost dripping from his voice ‘No thought for the consequences of my action, indeed? Well, I’ll show you just how wrong you are.’ ‘Breckinridge,’ the scientist said, the pain still twisting his voice, ‘he’s taunting you He does this all the time Kill him now Better yet, let me kill him.’ ‘Brotherly love,’ murmured the Doctor dreamily ‘How much of a fool you think I am?’ growled Breckinridge ‘I know what he’s trying to And if you want to murder him, you can be my guest But not until after he’s seen what I am creating here.’ He glared at the colonel ‘I am not having him die thinking I’m a savage.’ ‘Oi,’ put in Sarah ‘What about me?’ Breckinridge studied her for a moment, then he nodded at Ross ‘Get her down from there I want her to see this as well.’ Ross shook his head ‘I don’t trust her,’ he protested ‘She’s already broken my hand and –’ ‘And I’ll break the other one for you if you don’t as you’re told!’ screamed Breckinridge He raised his hand, on the verge of slapping Ross It was clear to Sarah that Breckinridge didn’t like his orders questioned – even when they were quite idiotic Ross, terrified of further pain, ducked and scuttled across to where Sarah was hanging from the pipes It took him a minute to fish the key to the handcuffs from his pocket, and even longer to manage to unlock them one-handed Sarah sighed happily as she could finally lower her arms They’d felt like the joints were about to break at any moment Rubbing her wrists, she joined the other captives Breckinridge smiled at her ‘And, lest you think that my decision to allow you to join us shows evidence of any favour in your direction, or weakness on my part ’ His hand whipped around in a savage blow to her cheek that threw her backwards across the floor ‘Think again, please.’ Sarah cried out in pain and stumbled backwards into the tanks, smacking down hard on the floor Her backside stung, and there was the taste of blood in her mouth ‘There was no need for that,’ the Doctor growled at Breckinridge ‘On the contrary,’ the businessman purred ‘Or would you prefer me to have Brogan shoot someone so that you understand the situation here? Brogan would happily that; he likes to kill people.’ Breckinridge sighed theatrically ‘He does have such simple tastes, but he’s a dedicated worker.’ ‘It’s okay,’ Sarah said She wiped at her mouth with the back of her right hand Blood smeared across it, which she wiped off rather obviously on to her skirt ‘I’m not badly damaged.’ She groaned as she started to rise, but for effect and not from pain The scalpel she’d knocked out of Ross’s hand earlier now lay inside her left sleeve Her ostentatious mannerisms with the blood had been to distract attention while she’d palmed the fallen weapon Simply having it gave her more courage Breckinridge and his minions might aim to kill them all, but she would go down fighting, if she went down at all ‘Very well,’ Breckinridge announced ‘Let’s be moving out of here Ross – Doctor Ross,’ he added with stress, ‘lead the way to the viewing room.’ He turned to the Doctor ‘I’m sure Miss Smith informed you that the ocean is something of a passion with me?’ ‘It’s nice to see that you have a few innocent passions,’ the Doctor answered as he fell in beside his adversary ‘Oh, I have lots of them,’ the man laughed ‘Though you may not believe it.’ ‘You’re right,’ agreed the Doctor, just as cheerfully, ‘I don’t.’ He glanced around as Sarah joined him Doyle, Colonel Ross and Abercrombie – muttering gloomily under his breath – followed them, and the two thugs brought up the rear as they paraded out of the laboratory Sarah realized that the rest of the subterranean passageways and rooms that had been added to the factory were all in roughly the same shape as the laboratory The passageway bent at odd angles several times, showing that it had been cut to follow the pathway of an old cave system The rooms that they passed were closed, and presumably had been cut from larger openings The walls were rough and unfinished, with electric lights at set intervals, linked by thick cables that snaked along the passageway The sound of dripping water increased, and the floor shone in spots where puddles gathered in the uneven surface She had the distinct impression that they had now travelled under the sea bed At one of the doors they passed, the Doctor halted, frowning ‘What’s in there?’ he demanded There was the sound of movement within the room ‘Precautions, Doctor,’ answered Doctor Ross ‘The seals aren’t the only guards I’ve bred for this place Thus far, though, the guardians in there haven’t been needed.’ ‘More abominations,’ muttered Doyle ‘My brother has a fertile mind when it comes to such matters,’ Colonel Ross said, quietly but audibly ‘What he lacks in intelligence he makes up for in depravity.’ His brother whirled to glare furiously at him ‘I’ve been in your shadow all my life,’ he snarled ‘It was always “you’re not half the man your brother is, Percival” and “look how well Edmund is doing at Oxford, Percival” Well I’ve had enough! Today I shall prove to everyone that I’m the more intelligent Ross, because I’ll be alive and creating a new world, and you’ll be dead.’ ‘So there,’ added the Doctor ‘Talk about an inferiority complex.’ ‘I’ve never seen a more complex complex,’ Sarah offered Breckinridge shook his head sadly ‘Please can we dispense with the silly jokes? I’d hate to have to dispense with either of you before you see our triumph Through the next door, if you please, Doctor.’ He stood aside to allow the Doctor and Sarah to precede him Sarah dutifully followed the Doctor into the indicated room, and then stood just inside, staring in wonder at what she could see The far wall was almost entirely glass It was about twenty feet long and half that in height She couldn’t guess its depth, but it had to be pretty thick to hold out the pressure of the water beyond As a result, the glass wasn’t crystal clear Patches had a smoky appearance and some parts were not quite level But it was enough to show what lay outside Outside lay the ocean Rows of lights led away from the gigantic window, set into the sea bed and glowing faintly The illumination was low-level, but sufficient to show them what lay out there Sarah took several steps forward as the others crowded into the room behind her She heard Doyle gasp in amazement at the view ‘Quite staggering, isn’t it?’ asked Breckinridge proudly Sarah didn’t want to admit that it was, so she continued moving There was only one piece of furniture in the room, a table of sorts Strapped to it, unconscious, was Kipling She spared him a quick glance to be certain he was still breathing, then moved until she was touching the huge window The sea bed looked marvellous Rocks, pebbles and sand were illuminated gently In the distance – probably only a few hundred yards away in the dark waters – was a large wheel, set in a spool Attached to the wheel were more lights This was clearly the source of the mysterious lighting that they had witnessed from their boat the previous night Closer to the window was a garden of sorts There were seaweeds there, and other plants, all in neat, short rows They were obviously being cultivated, and Sarah gasped as she saw the workers in these strange fields There were almost two dozen of them – merfolk, all children Each of them was naked, their upper torsos human, their lower sections dolphinine They moved slowly along the rows, weeding and checking the growing plants Sarah stared at them, and recognized one of them as the girl who had saved her life She looked as if she were the oldest one among them, and seemed to be in some kind of charge over them Beyond the workers, though, were three dark shapes that moved continually: the seal guards ‘Dear Lord!’ said Doyle fervently, from behind her ‘They’re bleeding real,’ muttered Abercrombie He glanced uncertainly at his boss ‘I guess your warped brother ain’t entirely mad.’ ‘On the contrary,’ the Doctor said, in a soft, dangerous voice that Sarah knew too well, ‘he’s criminally insane.’ The Doctor whirled around to glower at Breckinridge and Ross ‘Those are children out there that you’ve mutilated.’ ‘Mutilated?’ Breckinridge sounded incredulous ‘Doctor, they’re not mutilated at all! They’re magnificent! They can stay out there indefinitely, harvesting the sea, and they are viable, the nucleus of a brand new race I assure you, they are not ill-treated.’ ‘They’re slaves,’ the Doctor thundered ‘That’s why you need those guards: to prevent your slave army from escaping!’ ‘They’re useful, for the first time in their miserable little lives,’ protested Breckinridge ‘Doctor, every one of those children out there was doomed to die if they stayed here on the land They’re all from the docks and wharves and gutters Parasites, scavengers and worse Now, thanks to Ross and myself, they have useful, productive lives.’ ‘Useful to you,’ the Doctor countered ‘Production for you None of them was given the chance to decide whether they wanted that life or not You made that choice for them.’ ‘They were hardly in a position to make rational judgements, Doctor,’ Breckinridge argued ‘Dirty, ill-educated, disgusting little urchins from the dregs of the street Now look at them – they’re magnificent!’ ‘Not all of them,’ Sarah said quietly ‘One of them is a boy named Anders, from the same school as Kipling He’s got parents that care for him, and he wouldn’t have been a parasite.’ ‘True,’ agreed Breckinridge ‘But he stumbled across us one night when certain supplies were being delivered It was either change him or kill him.’ He nodded at the glass ‘I assume you approve of the choice I made?’ ‘I approve of nothing you do,’ she answered ‘It’s inhuman, disgusting and perverted.’ Breckinridge flushed ‘I should have known you wouldn’t understand,’ he snapped ‘Can’t you see that those children are better out there than they would be if this asinine Government of ours had their way? All this talk of educating the street brats What a waste! They don’t have the minds or the imaginations to take advantage of an education And who would pay for their waste of time? Businessmen like myself, that’s who! Well, out there –’ he gestured savagely out of the window again ‘– is my response to the unwanted children We can transform them, put them to useful work, to extend Man’s dominion.’ ‘To enslave them,’ the Doctor added coldly ‘To make them work for you That’s the real reason, isn’t it?’ He pointed to the garden ‘That’s pathetic, a sham What you really have in mind is to make the children work for you, isn’t that it? That wheel of light of yours has no real point, does it?’ ‘It has its reasons, Doctor,’ Breckinridge responded ‘I’m training those children because, as you rightly observe, they will have to work to repay me for all I’ve done for them I foresee a future, Doctor, where the world is linked by communication The telegraph is outmoded, and the telephone is just beginning I see a day when pictures as well as words can be transmitted through such cables And he who has the network in place will be the master of this new world.’ ‘So that’s it,’ said Colonel Ross ‘Those children are being trained to work so they can lay your cables.’ ‘Precisely,’ agreed Breckinridge ‘Do you have any idea how expensive it is to lay cables from ships? And if one breaks, there’s no way to repair it You have to start over again, laying a new sea-bed cable But with my race of merfolk out there, those problems cease They can lay the cables and even repair them, if needed, at any depths They’re the perfect workers, and they will help me to become the leader in a new world order.’ ‘I pity you,’ the Doctor said, in that icy, dangerous tone of his ‘Ross, at least, is doing his filthy work as a perversion of science But you are doing it simply to make more money.’ ‘And what’s wrong with making money?’ cried Breckinridge ‘Without men like me, this world would grind to a sorry halt in days It is my money that gives the people here in town work It’s my money that funds research, and brings on the future!’ ‘It’s your money that bastardizes everything that we hold holy and just,’ snapped Colonel Ross ‘This perversion is sickening, and must be destroyed.’ ‘No!’ snapped the Doctor ‘Ross, try and control that indignation of yours.’ He pointed out of the window ‘Those are children out there They never asked for the fate they’ve been given, and they’re innocent of any blame.’ ‘Whatever they may once have been,’ countered Ross, ‘they are abominations now.’ ‘If you touch one of those children,’ the Doctor vowed, ‘I shall personally take great pleasure in breaking every bone in your body – commencing with those in your inner ears.’ Breckinridge laughed ‘Come now, gentlemen,’ he said ‘Please don’t argue about this After all, you seem to forget who is in charge here It is I, not you, who decides what shall happen You are both powerless.’ He smirked at all his captives ‘The future belongs to me, not to any of you, because none of you has a future.’ ‘You’re wrong,’ said Sarah flatly ‘You don’t have a future I know, because I’m from it.’ ‘What?’ Breckinridge stared at her, his face a twisted mass of emotions It was clear that he didn’t quite believe that claim, but also that he wasn’t certain what she was up to His eyes narrowed ‘You expect me to believe that? You’re just trying to –’ ‘Believe it,’ Sarah told him ‘I’m not due to be born for over sixty years yet I’m from that future you’re talking about, and I can tell you that nowhere are you mentioned Oh, everything you’ve talked about is there, and more But there’s no genius named Breckinridge anywhere in it.’ She gestured towards Kipling ‘In fact, he’s going to become far more famous than you could ever be He’s going to become a great writer.’ ‘That snotty-nosed little schoolboy?’ sneered Breckinridge ‘You’re trying to say that he will be known and I won’t?’ ‘Yes.’ Sarah glared at him ‘So believe me: you may think you’re winning, but you’re doomed Your insane plan can’t succeed, because I’m from the future where it hasn’t succeeded.’ Anger and disbelief waged war for the businessman’s features Anger finally won ‘I’m still not sure that I believe you, Miss Smith, even though you are like no other woman I’ve ever met But I can disprove your little theory quite simply.’ He glared at Ross ‘Take Kipling there to your laboratory now, and give him a dose of the salve.’ He smiled tightly at Sarah ‘Let’s see if he can still become a great writer when he has to spend the rest of his life underwater His paper is liable to get a trifle damp, I fear.’ Sarah gasped with shock ‘No,’ she said ‘You can’t that You can’t change history.’ ‘Your history, Miss Smith, not mine.’ Breckinridge smiled, self-assured again ‘And if I change that small detail, then everything else will change as well, won’t it?’ ‘Yes,’ agreed the Doctor darkly ‘If you can change one brick, the wall of recorded human history will tumble down.’ Breckinridge nodded happily ‘Then it,’ he ordered Ross Sarah watched in horror as the scientist crossed to the unconscious schoolboy and started to unfasten him from the table She’d really done it this time! She’d hoped to convince Breckinridge to give up, but all she’d managed to was to make him grimly determined to change the course of history as she knew it Was it possible? Could he somehow succeed? The Doctor seemed to believe it could happen Was Sarah about to be the unwitting pivot about which history would shift and change? Lucy pulled another strand of seaweed from the vegetable patch and slipped it into the collecting bag that she carried slung across her shoulders As she did so, she glanced at the observation room in front of her Sometimes she had seen Ross in there, watching his ‘creations’ At others, Breckinridge would be there, staring out at the empire he was hoping to create for himself Lucy stared in astonishment as she saw that the viewing room was almost overflowing with people And she recognized two of them One of them was definitely the young woman she’d prevented from drowning The other one was the man who had helped the woman back to the surface What were they doing here? She swam closer to the glass wall to get a better look Then she saw that Brogan and Raintree were there, the two men who’d captured her in the first place, and three other men that she didn’t recognize And there was another person strapped down to a table Brogan and Raintree had guns, so the two people she knew and the other three had to be prisoners What was going on? ‘Joshua,’ she called to the newcomer He’d been with them only a little while, but he seemed to be filled with fire and intelligence She liked him, and felt that she could rely on him ‘Look at the viewing room.’ Joshua swam slowly to join her His eyes narrowed and he frowned ‘What’s going on?’ he asked softly ‘It looks like the woman I helped last night is in trouble again,’ Lucy explained ‘I think she and her friends are trying to stop Ross and Breckinridge.’ ‘It does look like that,’ Joshua agreed ‘In fact ’ He gave a little jump of shock ‘That boy on the table! I know him! That’s Gigger!’ ‘Who?’ ‘Someone from my school,’ Joshua explained, excited ‘He must have been looking for me These people are trying to fight those villains, I’ll bet!’ ‘Then they’re not doing very well,’ Lucy observed ‘They’re in serious trouble, by the looks of things.’ ‘Then we have to try and help them, Lucy,’ said Joshua eagerly ‘If they can manage to stop Ross and Breckinridge, then we’ll be free.’ ‘Do you think so?’ She wanted so desperately to believe that But – One of the Guards swam swiftly over, squealing a warning at them Lucy knew that it meant return to work The seal’s mouth opened to show its cruel fangs She knew that it was hoping for some excuse to attack It loved to maim and kill, and with the slightest excuse it would rip into them all ‘We’d better as it says,’ she told Joshua ‘No!’ he yelled ‘I won’t! You said that you were waiting for the best time to break free Well, this is it! There are only three Guards left, and it looks like Ross has his own troubles.’ ‘Joshua!’ she yelled, but it was too late He ripped the collecting bag from his shoulders, and threw it in slow-motion to the sea bed ‘I’m not going back to work!’ he yelled at the Guard ‘What are you going to about that?’ Horrified, Lucy saw exactly what the Guard intended to It swam away slightly, and then whipped around, teeth bared It was going to kill Joshua! Without hesitation, she snatched up Joshua’s discarded bag As the Guard shot past her, she threw the strap from the bag about its neck and then on grimly The strap tightened about the Guard’s throat, cutting deeply into its windpipe Unlike the merfolk, the Guards still needed to breathe air from time to time Even though the Guard could go for half an hour between breaths, its instincts told it that it was being strangled, and it panicked The raking teeth missed Joshua entirely as the Guard twisted, trying to get Lucy off its back She held tight to the straps, twisting them in her hands to get more leverage She’d almost forgotten that the Change had increased her strength until she heard the snap of the Guard’s neck, and felt its death throes In shock, Lucy let go of the straps The broken body of the dead Guard sank slowly to the sea bed She could nothing but stare at it, hardly able to understand what she had done ‘Lucy!’ cried Joshua happily ‘You did it! You killed the Guard!’ He whirled about to face the other children They had stopped working to watch what they had felt certain would be Joshua getting killed Instead they had witnessed the unexpected – a miracle ‘They’re vulnerable!’ Joshua yelled, pointing to the fallen Guard ‘And there are only two of them left!’ The children needed no further urging As one, they went for the two remaining Guards The seals had been bred to be killers, but even they couldn’t stand against this force One of them fastened its teeth onto Patrick’s arm and tore the limb apart in a spray of blood that clouded the water Patrick screamed and went rigid in death The Guard didn’t even have the time to spit out the arm before six of the children, wielding stones torn from the sea bed, battered it into pulp The final Guard tried to flee, but the children were faster Two of them grabbed the Guard’s flukes and the rest of them descended on it like locusts, hammering away at it, not letting up until it was a bloody smear in the dark sand ‘We did it!’ Joshua cried triumphantly ‘We’re free!’ Sarah watched numbly as Ross loosened the straps on Kipling The boy, thankfully, was still unconscious and thus unaware of what was in store for him ‘Are you still so certain that I cannot change the future?’ asked Breckinridge ‘Yes,’ the Doctor broke in ‘I think you’d better take a look behind you.’ Breckinridge laughed ‘Come, Doctor! How naïve you think I am?’ The Doctor shrugged ‘What are my choices? But this is no bluff Your undersea slaves are revolting And they appear to be winning.’ With a cry, Breckinridge glanced over his shoulder He saw in horror what Sarah saw in hope: the merchildren had turned on the Guards and were beating the living daylights out of them Ross stared at the scene too, transfixed, supporting Kipling with his one good hand The Doctor moved slowly, uncurling several lengths of his scarf Then, while even Brogan and Raintree were distracted by the battle beyond the glass, he whipped out a length of the scarf, looping it neatly about Raintree’s gun hand, and jerked the thug off-balance ‘Now would be a good time to use that stick,’ he snapped at Colonel Ross Ross smiled and whipped up his walking stick Sarah recalled his use of the stick during the hunt, and that it was actu- ally a single-shot air rifle There was a loud hiss of the compressed gas going off Ross had aimed at Breckinridge, but the industrialist – either through luck or some preternatural instinct – had moved slightly The bullet missed him and slammed into the glass wall beyond Instantly, spider-webbed cracks started to form in the glass ‘Dear God!’ cried Doctor Ross ‘The pressure outside!’ It was obvious what he meant: they were way down below the water level here, and the crack in the glass gave it a terrible weak spot In seconds, the wall could collapse Sarah slipped the scalpel she’d hidden into her hand and stabbed at Ross with it, striking his good hand Ross screamed as blood bubbled up, and let Kipling fall Sarah grabbed for the boy, managing to hold onto him As she tried to straighten up, the room degenerated into mad confusion Raintree had staggered aside as the Doctor jerked him off-balance Panicking, he fired The bullet slammed into the glass wall, creating another series of growing cracks before the Doctor could wrest the gun from his hand Brogan whirled around and brought his gun up, centring on the back of the Doctor’s skull Sarah cried out, but there was nothing she could The revolver that had somehow appeared in Doyle’s hand spat fire Brogan was thrown backwards, his chest a mass of blood He was either dead or dying Colonel Ross spun about and reversed his grip on his walking stick He whirled it in a lethal arc that finished in Raintree’s skull, splattering blood and bone about ‘You’ve got to stop this habit of killing,’ the Doctor snapped ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ Ross countered ‘That glass won’t hold for much longer Abercrombie!’ he yelled ‘The boy!’ Sarah was still trying to get Kipling up when Abercrombie gently but firmly pushed her aside and scooped the boy up He flung Kipling over one shoulder, giving her a quick grin ‘Time for the better part of valour,’ he grunted, scuttling off under his burden Sarah didn’t need any further encouragement Over the groans and yells she could hear the sound of cracking, and that meant that the water was about to break through As she sprinted out of the room, she saw she was behind Abercrombie and Doyle, who were both haring down the dank corridor ahead of her Despite his load, Abercrombie was managing a respectable speed Sarah glanced back and saw that Ross and the Doctor were hard on her heels How far did they have to get to be safe? She had no idea And how long did they have before the glass wall gave way and the sea rushed in? It couldn’t be more than minutes, and possibly not even that long Once the water came through, it would flood the corridors in next to no time She tried to remember her hydrodynamics, but science had never been her strong point Didn’t water speed up when faced with a constriction? If so, then as soon as the ocean broke into the corridor, it would send a killer wave after them all Talk about encouragement for speed! Sarah’s ribs ached, and her lungs felt as if they were on fire as she ran for her life Breckinridge glared about the viewing room, fury eclipsing every other emotion, even his drive for self-preservation His prisoners had escaped – at least for the moment – and his world was crumbling Raintree lay dead on the floor, his blood and brains leaking from his shattered skull Ross had vanished with the others His slaves outside in the ocean had finished killing the guards and had vanished into the darkness beyond Cold rage building inside him, he started for the door As he passed Brogan, the injured man reached out a trembling hand ‘Help me,’ he gasped Blood was frothing up in his chest wound, and he was desperate ‘Go to hell,’ Breckinridge growled, kicking away the groping hand Ignoring the weakening pleas of the dying thug, he left the viewing room and ran up the corridor to where the final Guards were kept He unlocked the door and threw it open Snarling, the four enhanced dogs strained at their chains They were monsters of their kind, taken from attack dogs bred in Europe and given extra cunning and a drive to kill by Ross’s salve and human fluid implants All four were ready to his bidding, desiring nothing more than to kill Breckinridge crossed to the main link of the chain and unlocked it As the heavy chains fell away, he gestured at the door ‘After them!’ he screamed ‘Instruments of my vengeance! Kill!’ Three of the beasts leaped to obey him instantly, dashing through the door The fourth whipped around and bared its teeth Breckinridge barely had the time to realize that Ross had made these dogs too well Their only drive was to kill, and they didn’t care who their victims were He backed away as the hound jumped Teeth raked through his upraised arm, shredding flesh and bone alike He had time for one last scream before the dog’s teeth fastened onto his throat Doctor Ross, whimpering and racked with pain from his injured hands, staggered into his laboratory Everything had gone wrong! Breckinridge had ruined it all, insisting on boasting and playing games with his captives The man’s ego had brought everything crashing down about them – and in seconds that could become more than just a metaphor Ross saw that his plans were finished, and everything had crumbled Once again, his accursed brother had beaten him He whimpered from the agony in his hands, caused by Sarah One hand was broken, the other ripped apart from the scalpel she’d wielded He couldn’t bear the pain any more, and he staggered across to plunge his hands into the healing salve In seconds, most of the pain was gone and he felt the gel soaking into his body And then the world exploded He heard the shattering of the glass in the viewing room even from this distance Blindly he looked around, wondering where he could run or hide, but there was nowhere left A roaring sound filled the corridors as the waters crashed in, flooding through in a wave of tidal fury It slammed into the laboratory like a hammer, shattering equipment, splintering the tables, and then soaking him, throwing him back against the wall It felt as if his spine had been crushed, and pain and fire filled his ravaged body The gel was still working, however Even as he fought against the rising water, struggling for breath, he felt the burning within his limbs as the salve took control of his body Would he drown, or would the cream cause some mutation that might enable him to somehow survive? There was no way to tell, and no time left As he lost consciousness, his body burned about him Sarah ran as fast as she could, trusting that Doyle and Abercrombie knew the route back She’d not seen it, of course, as she’d been insensate when she was brought here Dimly, in the distance behind her, down the twists and turns of the passageway, she could hear something Even over the pounding of blood in her ears, there was no mistaking the howl of a dog Several dogs The guardians are out! she realized desperately There was no doubt that they’d be coming down the passageway after them – to get away from the water, if nothing else And they had been bred to kill She simply couldn’t move any faster As it was, she didn’t know how much longer she could keep up her current pace She ached terribly, her lungs felt like they were burning inside her, and her legs were almost ready to seize up ‘We’re here!’ Doyle gasped back to her as they came to the bottom of a flight of steps that appeared suddenly from the gloom He was still holding his revolver, and he stopped, waving her on with it ‘I’ve got a couple of bullets left,’ he panted ‘Go on I’ll cover us.’ Sarah didn’t waste time or breath arguing Instead she started up the stairs, every step jarring and painful After what felt like minutes she saw Abercrombie shoot out of sight at the top, and then Sarah plunged onto the factory floor right behind him ‘Out the door,’ he gasped, leading the way She saw that he was almost on the verge of collapse, so she went to offer him help with Kipling ‘Move it,’ he sighed Together they half-carried, half-dragged the boy to the doorway Behind them they heard rapid footsteps, and then the Doctor, Ross and Doyle were with them The Doctor wasted no time or words, but simply kicked open the factory door And then the dogs bounded out of the gap in the floor There were three of them, and in the dim light all Sarah could make out was powerful bodies and rows of sharp, drooling fangs Suddenly there were hands helping her through the doorway Through the red haze that had settled over her eyes she could make out several people ‘Get them out of the way!’ Sir Edward Fulbright snapped He had a rifle at his shoulder, and was poised to fire Sarah accepted the help without question, and she was dragged aside by two people She fell against one, and realized that it was Alice ‘Thank God we got here in time!’ exclaimed the girl ‘Indubitably,’ agreed Sarah, as she sucked in the fresh night air Then there was a barrage of firing as Fulbright and his men let the three attacking dogs have the full force of their guns The animals howled in pain, but went down The Doctor dropped to the ground beside Sarah For once he looked as if he had been through the wars, too There was a gash down one cheek, and his deerstalker was missing His scarf fluttered in the breeze, and there was a happy gleam in his eyes ‘Three cheers for the Seventh Cavalry,’ he joked ‘Is it over?’ Sarah asked There was a ringing in her ears as Fulbright and his men fired a second time All sounds and movements from the dogs ceased ‘No,’ the Doctor informed her ‘It’s far from over But the war is done Now we have the peace to negotiate I have to stop Ross from doing anything foolish – which isn’t likely to be very easy.’ Coda S arah stood on the stony beach as the sun began to rise There was a chill in the air, but less of one in her heart now It had been a long night, but the dawn promised to wipe a great deal of the pain and loss away She glanced around as Alice came to join her in staring out over the choppy waters ‘Father says that the underground passageways have flooded,’ she said softly ‘They found the body of the last dog in the water there.’ ‘But not Doctor Ross or Breckinridge?’ ‘No,’ Alice sighed ‘But Edmund – Colonel Ross – has finally explained everything to my father.’ She shook her head ‘If only he’d told us some of this earlier.’ Sarah couldn’t resist a smile ‘What did your father say when Ross told him he’d been the chief suspect for a while?’ Alice laughed ‘He was about ready to challenge him to a duel, I think Then he saw the funny side of things, and they’re getting along rather well now.’ ‘He’s not such a bad person, is he?’ ‘Edmund?’ Alice shook her head ‘Only he’s so secretive, even when it’s not needed.’ ‘I guess it comes with the job,’ Sarah replied ‘He’s a little like the Doctor in some ways, you know They both keep secrets, sometimes too well.’ ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you,’ Alice said, ‘where is your friend? Nobody’s seen him for a while, and everyone has questions that they want answered.’ Laughing, Sarah said, ‘That’s why he’s not around He hates explaining things Besides, he’s gone to fetch the TARDIS.’ ‘The TARDIS?’ Alice frowned ‘Is that your carriage?’ ‘Something like that,’ Sarah agreed She just hoped that the Doctor was right, and that he really could make the short hop from Dartmoor to the beach He’d probably have to go via Mars to make it, though She’d had to trust him, because she had been too worn out from her adventures to accompany him back to the ship Another figure stumbled down the path from the town towards them Sarah winced as she realized it was Kipling She couldn’t help liking the boy, but sometimes he could be such a nuisance ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked him ‘Like I’ve got a hangover,’ he admitted ‘I missed out on all the fun, I gather.’ ‘You were almost a part of it,’ she told him ‘Breckinridge had a change in mind for you Luckily, it didn’t come about.’ She smiled at him ‘Do you recall anything about last night?’ ‘After the graveyard?’ He shrugged ‘All I know is that I dreamed of wolves, howling all about me.’ He shook his head ‘Odd Oh well.’ He looked up at her ‘Will you be going now?’ ‘Soon,’ Sarah admitted ‘Pity.’ Kipling suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek ‘It’s been fun, though I won’t forget you, Sarah Jane Smith.’ ‘Nor I you, Rudyard Kipling.’ She laughed ‘You’re going to make lots of people proud of you.’ He waved, nodded at Alice and then started back up the path ‘School’s going to be ruddy dull after this,’ he muttered ‘Wolves, graveyards, mermaids ’ He disappeared, still muttering to himself ‘Not a bad sort, really,’ Sarah said She glanced at Alice ‘You’re going to hear a lot more about him, you know I’m glad I got to know him.’ Alice stared at her uncertainly ‘Are you ’ she began Then she screwed up her courage: ‘Are you really from the future? The others were talking, and ’ She gave a quick gesture of uncertainty with her hands ‘Yes,’ Sarah admitted ‘I am.’ ‘Then you know what becomes of us all?’ asked Alice ‘Not all,’ Sarah admitted ‘Just a few of you, the ones I happen to have heard about for one reason or another in my time.’ ‘Oh.’ Alice stood quietly beside Sarah, staring out to sea It was pleasant, standing here, with nothing much to think about Sarah felt happy, just watching the sun rise and hearing the sound of the seagulls wheeling overhead In the distance she could see several small boats ‘The fishing fleet’s coming back,’ she murmured There was a roaring, crashing, grinding sound that slowly began to fill the air It appeared to be coming from a spot about ten feet down the beach Alice went white and clutched at Sarah’s arm ‘It’s okay,’ Sarah reassured her ‘I think that’s my cab arriving.’ The air shimmered as the familiar outlines of the TARDIS formed and then solidified There was a final thump and the sound died away, then the door was flung open and the Doctor stormed out He was back in his usual costume, his hat rammed down over his curls, and the scarf trailing free once more instead of being tucked inside a cape coat ‘Right,’ he said briskly ‘Time to finish things Come along, Sarah, don’t dawdle.’ Pulling a face at his retreating back, Sarah followed him up the pathway and back to the factory Alice, fighting down the questions she obviously wanted to ask, struggled to keep up with them The factory had been closed for the time being, until decisions could be made about its future There was a small knot of men there, talking in animated fashion Sarah recognized most of them: Colonel Ross and Abercrombie, Sir Edward Fulbright and Roger Bridewell, Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Alexander Cromwell, Constable Faversham and Doctor Martinson, and the one-armed fisherman, Brackley ‘Ah,’ Fulbright growled as they joined the party ‘Glad you’re back.’ ‘So am I.’ The Doctor turned to Ross ‘Now, I assume the main problem left is the children?’ ‘Yes,’ he agreed ‘We’ve agreed that everything else can be kept quiet There’s certainly no need for any of this to come out The salve is destroyed, I hope?’ ‘I believe so,’ the Doctor answered ‘It doesn’t mix too well with salt water Even if it’s not gone, it’s so diluted now as to be useless.’ ‘Splendid.’ Ross nodded briskly It was obvious that he’d taken charge by virtue of his office as special agent to the Queen ‘But the children are a distinct problem.’ ‘Why can’t we just leave them alone?’ asked Doyle ‘They didn’t ask for this, and they’re harmless, surely?’ ‘No,’ replied Ross and the Doctor, almost as one The Doctor glared at him, and then amplified his response ‘The human race isn’t ready to share this world with another species, Doyle.’ The Doctor looked grim ‘And that’s what those children have become They can’t stay here.’ He glanced at Ross ‘There are always people who wouldn’t rest until they were destroyed – or worse I’ve a friend called the Brigadier who’s a bit like that He means well, but sometimes jumps the wrong way.’ He stared at Ross ‘One of your failings,’ he added candidly ‘Possibly,’ agreed Ross ‘But this is a real problem, and unless you have a better solution, I’m going to have to have those merbeings hunted down and killed.’ Doyle frowned ‘A brigadier who means well ’ he mused Then he blinked and stared at Ross ‘What you propose is nothing short of murder,’ he snapped ‘Don’t you think I’m aware of that?’ asked Ross He looked very pained ‘But I cannot allow those creatures to exist They may be children now, but one day they will grow up and breed Then we will have a nasty mess on our hands Who knows how their minds will work?’ ‘Those creatures are, as you say, children.’ The Doctor frowned ‘And I cannot condone your solution I propose instead that I remove them from this planet and take them to another where they can set up their own society in peace.’ ‘Another world?’ spluttered Sir Alexander ‘Are you out of your mind?’ ‘No,’ Ross answered ‘He isn’t.’ He nodded to the Doctor ‘An admirable solution As I say, I’ve no wish to harm them Do you think they’ll agree to this?’ ‘Given their options,’ the Doctor answered, ‘how can they refuse?’ ‘Quite.’ Ross held out his hand ‘Well, Doctor, I wish you luck As soon as everything is tidied up here, I’ll be returning to London Then who knows where?’ The Doctor considered for a moment, then shook the offered hand ‘Try to restrain that itchy trigger finger of yours,’ he advised Doyle pulled his watch from his pocket ‘Well,’ he said, reluctantly, ‘Captain Gray sails within the hour I’m sorry to miss out on the last bit, but I think I’ve done as much as I can.’ ‘You’ve been a marvellous help,’ the Doctor replied ‘And I’m sure you’ll have no problem with the writing.’ Doyle smiled ‘If nothing else, I’ve had a few ideas for stories from all of this.’ Ross glared at him ‘You’d better be certain that the incidents are very much disguised if you use any of this.’ ‘Otherwise,’ the Doctor explained solemnly, ‘her Majesty will not be amused Take care, Doyle I’d hate to think they’d reopen the Tower just for you.’ With a cheery wave, Doyle headed back towards the docks and the waiting Hope Sarah turned back to the Doctor ‘These mermaids,’ she said ‘You think you can talk to them? Can they still speak English?’ ‘I doubt it,’ the Doctor informed her ‘I suspect they use a modified sonar method for speech, derived from the dolphin base Fortunately I speak dolphin fluently.’ He strode off towards the beach ‘Is he joking?’ asked Alice ‘Haven’t the vaguest idea,’ Sarah answered She wouldn’t be too surprised if he were telling the truth On the other hand, it could have been one of his jokes ‘Well, I guess it’s time for me to say goodbye Take care, Alice It’s been fun.’ ‘That’s one word for it,’ replied Alice ‘But it’s not the first one that springs to my mind Take care, Sarah Shall we see you again?’ Sarah gave her a grin ‘Save me a slice of the wedding cake,’ she suggested ‘I’ll see if I can’t pop round to eat it Cheerio.’ ‘Are you coming, Sarah?’ called the Doctor, without looking around With a final wave, Sarah dashed after him Back in her room in the TARDIS, Sarah changed into her borrowed swim-suit The iridescent fabric moulded itself to her body again Then she grabbed a towel and set off down the corridor towards the bathroom The TARDIS was in flight once again Soft hums filled the corridor, just on the threshold of audibility The Doctor had set the co-ordinates and vanished off in one of his mysterious mood swings again Sarah didn’t care how long the flight took, or even really where they were going Some water planet in Andromeda was all the Doctor had bothered to explain She pushed open the door to the bathroom and walked in A large beach-ball bounced off the tiles in front other Highpitched squeaks came from the pool Laughing, Sarah chased the errant ball and tossed it back In the pool, twenty merchildren were romping and enjoying themselves They were splashing, mock-fighting and laughing in squeaky voices It was self-evident that they were happy They had accepted the Doctor’s offer of a new home without hesitation Sarah slipped into the water to join them It was warm and there was the tang of salt The Doctor had tipped in a bucketful to enable the merchildren to survive in the pool Sarah pushed off from the side and swam out to join her new friends The leader, Lucy, came to join her with a nimble flick of her tail She held up her hand, palm forward, and piped a happy greeting Holding her own palm flat against Lucy’s, Sarah smiled ‘Hello, friend,’ she replied It didn’t matter how long this voyage lasted It was going to be a lot of fun Semi-Historical Notes S ir Arthur Conan Doyle went on to become the writer he’d always dreamed he’d be Aside from creating the badtempered man of science known as Professor Challenger (who the Doctor insists is not based on him), he also became the scribe of choice for a private consulting detective who preferred to be referred to as Sherlock Holmes To further aid in this mysterious man’s quest for obscurity, Doyle had his illustrators depict the detective in a deerstalker and cape coat Alice Bridewell went on to become one of the founders of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, backed by her husband Roger and her ageing father Rudyard Kipling turned his hand to writing; first as a journalist and later as a novelist Some of his tales dealt with time travel, and others with a child brought up with wolves Colonel Edmund Ross and his man Abercrombie continued in service to the Queen, having further strange adventures that may perhaps be safely related at a future date Lucy, Joshua and the others moved to a small world whose star is hardly even visible from the Earth The Doctor continues to travel Author’s Note M any of the details in this story are reasonably accurate For help with information on the early life of Arthur Conan Doyle, I’d especially like to thank Bill vande Water, B.S.I., who came through with just the right material, as always Some historical facts have been tampered with to better suit the plot, so please don’t blame Bill for that Thanks are due to Rebecca Levene, Peter Darvill-Evans and Andy Boole at Virgin for their patience and understanding, despite extreme provocation And, finally, thanks to Alister Pearson for another stunning cover, and for allowing me to see the painting in advance Available in the Doctor Who – New Adventures series: TIMEWYRM: GENESYS by John Peel TIMEWYRM: EXODUS by Terrance Dicks TIMEWYRM: APOCALYPSE by Nigel Robinson TIMEWYRM: REVELATION by Paul Cornell CAT’S CRADLE: TIME’S CRUCIBLE by Marc Platt CAT’S CRADLE: WARHEAD by Andrew Cartmel CAT’S CRADLE: WITCH MARK by Andrew Hunt NIGHTSHADE by Mark Gatiss LOVE AND WAR by Paul Cornell TRANSIT by Ben Aaronovitch THE HIGHEST SCIENCE by Gareth Roberts THE PIT by Neil Penswick DECEIT by Peter Darvill-Evans LUCIFER RISING by Jim Mortimore and Andy Lane WHITE DARKNESS by David A McIntee SHADOWMIND by Christopher Bulis BIRTHRIGHT by Nigel Robinson ICEBERG by David Banks BLOOD HEAT by Jim Mortimore THE DIMENSION RIDERS by Daniel Blythe THE LEFT-HANDED HUMMINGBIRD by Kate Orman CONUNDRUM by Steve Lyons NO FUTURE by Paul Cornell TRAGEDY DAY by Gareth Roberts LEGACY by Gary Russell THEATRE OF WAR by Justin Richards ALL-CONSUMING FIRE by Andy Lane BLOOD HARVEST by Terrance Dicks STRANGE ENGLAND by Simon Messingham FIRST FRONTIER by David A McIntee The next Missing Adventure, to be published in October 1994, is Venusian Lullaby by Paul Leonard, which will feature the first Doctor, Ian and Barbara EVOLUTION AN ORIGINAL NOVEL FEATURING THE FOURTH DOCTOR AND SARAH JANE SMITH ‘ SOMEONE IS TAMPERING WITH THE FABRIC OF THE HUMAN CELL ,’ THE DOCTOR SAID DARKLY , ‘ PERVERTING ITS SECRETS TO HIS OWN PURPOSES ’ Sarah Jane wants to meet her fellow journalist Rudyard Kipling, and the Doctor sets the co-ordinates for England, Earth, in the Victorian Age As usual, the TARDIS materializes in not quite the right place, and the time travellers find themselves pursued across Devon moorland by a huge feral hound Children have gone missing; at the local boarding school, the young Rudyard Kipling has set up search parties Lights have been seen beneath the waters of the bay, and fishermen have been pulled from their boats and mutilated Graves have been robbed of their corpses Something is going on, and Arthur Conan Doyle, the ship’s doctor from a recently berthed arctic whaler, is determined to investigate The Doctor and Doyle join forces to uncover a macabre scheme to interfere with human evolution – and both Sarah Jane and Kipling face a terrifying transmogrification This adventure takes place between the television stories THE BRAIN OF MORBIUS and THE SEEDS OF DOOM JOHN PEEL, who lives in New York State, is the author of bestselling science fiction and horror novels, including several novelizations of Doctor Who television stories and the very first New Adventure, TIMEWYRM:GENESYS His non-fiction works include THE GALLIFREY CHRONICLES and THE THUNDERBIRDS, STINGRAY AND CAPTAIN SCARLET PROGRAMME GUIDE ISBN 0-426-20422-0 UK: £4.99 USA: $5.95 CANADA: $7.99 *AUSTRALIA: $10.95 *RECOMMENDED PRICE Science fiction/TV tie-in 780426 204220 > .. .EVOLUTION DR WHO – THE MISSING ADVENTURES Also available: GOTH OPERA by Paul Cornell EVOLUTION John Peel First published in Great Britain in 1994 by Doctor Who Books an imprint of Virgin. .. imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd 332 Ladbroke Grove London W10 5AH Copyright © John Peel 1994 The right of John Peel to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance... 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